Schools on 2-hour delay ahead of winter weather, possible flooding

Wednesday

UPDATE at 5:30 p.m.: Henderson County Public Schools are on a two-hour delay Thursday due to forecasted winter weather and possible flooding. Lake Lure Classical Academy is also on a two-hour delay.

Ice and sleet are possible tonight and into Thursday morning across parts of Western North Carolina, and a flood watch will take effect this afternoon due to more rain in the forecast.

Freezing rain and sleet is possible especially over the central and northern Blue Ridge mountains and the adjacent foothills, the National Weather Service said, and a winter weather advisory has been issued from this evening through Thursday afternoon.

If heavy accumulations of freezing rain and sleet ocur, it could lead to power outages and hazardous travel conditions, the NWS says.

A flood watch is also in effect for this afternoon through Thursday evening. A round of heavy rainfall today and into Thursday will bring 2 to 3 inches to the region, with the bulk of the heavy rain falling tonight.

This heavy rainfall will impact areas that received 2 to 4 inches of rain Monday. The ground remains saturated and stream levels are running quite high, the NWS said. This could lead to more widespread flooding along rivers and streams than observed with the Monday system.

Rain should begin today after 1 p.m., with a high of 41 degrees, according to the NWS. New precipitation amounts between a quarter of an inch to half an inch are possible. Tonight's forecast calls for a 100 percent chance of rain and a low of 33 degrees. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches are possible.

More than 3 inches of rain over five days has prompted officials at DuPont State Recreational Forest to close single-track trails. The wet conditions and a lack of drying time have made many of the trails susceptible to damage from trail users, officials said, as saturated trail surfaces will be soft and foot traffic, bicycles and equestrian users will cause erosion issues and rutting.